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Re: Pledge to be a BSA Beekeeping Mentor

This is a great idea. I earned the beekeeping merit badge when I was a youth in scouting and was disappointed when they dropped it. I will support a merit badge or any changes to add beekeeping to any other merit badge.

Re: Pledge to be a BSA Beekeeping Mentor

Thanks everybody who is posting here. I just want to be clear that you need to send an email directly to BSA to let them know of your support. That information is included in the recent email you should have received from Barry Birkey.

Be sure to contact BSA direct with interest in mentoring scouts!

Do be sure to contact the BSA directly, as Neil points out.

The BSA will not want to add activities to the merit badges unless they feel certain the there will be beekeepers willing to teach the scouts, so RIGHT NOW, there are three things that you can do to help:

First, BSA has invited all associations and experts in the beekeeping community who are interested in helping with this project to e-mail us at merit.badge@scouting.org. Please put "bees" in the subject line.Second, if you are interested in serving as a merit badge counselor, contact your BSA local council to initiate the process.http://www.scouting.org/localcouncillocator.aspxFinally, if you are willing to be a mentor, please contact BSA directly and let them know you are willing to be a mentor. BSA has requested that interested beekeepers e-mail them at: merit.badge@scouting.org and please put "Honey Bees" in the heading. Just write a few words letting them know that you are willing to act as a mentor, and please give BSA a way to contact you and let them know what states and counties you are willing to mentor in.

Re: Pledge to be a BSA Beekeeping Mentor

Piedmont Bee - I pledge to be a mentor to a local boyscout seeking to attain the beekeeping merit badge. I am involved in cubscouts with my boy and was wondering why the boyscouts deactivate the beekeeping badge. I would like to see it reinstated. If I can help with this effort please dont hesitate to contact me.

Re: Pledge to be a BSA Beekeeping Mentor

"A director of the Boy Scout division of the BSA stated at a Boy Scout Program conference at Philmont that a merit badge is never officially dropped. They are just omitted from all literature, the cloth badge is not made, and there are no books published. Apparently someone that has the most recent set of requirements can use them. I am not sure how one goes about getting an approved counselor. That could be a problem, however that hasn't stopped some people. A case in point is the Rabbit Raising Merit Badge that was dropped in 1993. BSA records indicate that 49 Rabbit Raising Merit Badges were earned in 2003. Using a realistic approach, my definition for the final year for a merit badge is the last year it appears in BSA literature as a valid merit badge even though it may be earned many years after that."

I hope the above information is correct, so a scout may earn the desired merit badge. Even if there is no current production of badges available, just like the phamplet, you can still purchase supplies previously produced, which are still available, as per example:

As to applying for a copy of out-of-print beekeeping merit badge book, there is no need to purchase, since they are available at public library sources <imho out-of-print merit badge phamplets ought to be PDFd online>, they are available here:

I'm in north east Kansas, and since my nephew is wanting to get his Beekeeping merit badge, I am looking into the steps necessary for BSA to accept me as a beekeeping merit badge councilor, as per their requirements.

I would suppose whatever mentor discovered in your locality would similarity have to apply with their local BSA council and go through an approval process.

Re: Pledge to be a BSA Beekeeping Mentor

Snafu, catch-22!

I filled out all the paperwork to become a beekeeping merit badge councilor and took the necessary online studies and training required, but with the new computerized systems, without any necessary codes, my application for beekeeping merit badge councilor could not be processed.

Re: Pledge to be a BSA Beekeeping Mentor

Originally Posted by Nimblebee

As to applying for a copy of out-of-print beekeeping merit badge book, there is no need to purchase, since they are available at public library sources <imho out-of-print merit badge pamphlets ought to be PDFd online>, they are available here:

Ask and ye shall receive.

Here is a copy of the last version of the Beekeeping Merit Badge book
(if you have a Scribd acct, you can also download it as a PDF):

Re: Pledge to be a BSA Beekeeping Mentor

"A director of the Boy Scout division of the BSA stated at a Boy Scout Program conference at Philmont that a merit badge is never officially dropped. They are just omitted from all literature, the cloth badge is not made, and there are no books published. Apparently someone that has the most recent set of requirements can use them. I am not sure how one goes about getting an approved counselor. That could be a problem, however that hasn't stopped some people. A case in point is the Rabbit Raising Merit Badge that was dropped in 1993. BSA records indicate that 49 Rabbit Raising Merit Badges were earned in 2003. Using a realistic approach, my definition for the final year for a merit badge is the last year it appears in BSA literature as a valid merit badge even though it may be earned many years after that."

Does this letter imply, once dropped the merit badge cannot be earned unless a scout is already working on it?

Re: Pledge to be a BSA Beekeeping Mentor

Originally Posted by J&J

"A director of the Boy Scout division of the BSA stated at a Boy Scout Program conference at Philmont that a merit badge is never officially dropped. They are just omitted from all literature, the cloth badge is not made, and there are no books published. Apparently someone that has the most recent set of requirements can use them. I am not sure how one goes about getting an approved counselor. That could be a problem, however that hasn't stopped some people. A case in point is the Rabbit Raising Merit Badge that was dropped in 1993. BSA records indicate that 49 Rabbit Raising Merit Badges were earned in 2003. Using a realistic approach, my definition for the final year for a merit badge is the last year it appears in BSA literature as a valid merit badge even though it may be earned many years after that."

Does this letter imply, once dropped the merit badge cannot be earned unless a scout is already working on it?

Thank you for posting the letter. Here's my take on the letter.

The phrase "Scouts that were already working on the badge can continue to do so until they complete the badge or reach the age of 18" simply reflects BSA's Eagle Scout policy that all badge requirements must be completed before a candidate's 18th birthday.

When I read the sentence "The most current merit badge pamphlet is the book that should be used", the word that jumps out at me is "SHOULD". It would be a different issue if the letter instead used the word "WILL", like when the letter states "the Boy Scout Requirements WILL come out around the end of the year" (although the writer still prefaces that phrase with the word "Normally").

So, the 1997 letter still corresponds with the above statement, "a merit badge is never officially dropped. They are just omitted from all literature, the cloth badge is not made, and there are no books published."

To that end, the above statement of "case in point is the Rabbit Raising Merit Badge that was dropped in 1993. BSA records indicate that 49 Rabbit Raising Merit Badges were earned in 2003" is somewhat confirmed by the fact you can still purchase the "Rabbit Raising Merit Badge" online (and I don't think as a collector's item either) - http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_nkw=R....c0.m270.l1313

Another example - the Machinery Merit Badge was officially ended in 1995 (just as the Beekeeper Merit Badge), but here's a Boy Scout troop that is working on the badge for some of its Eagle Scout candidates in September 2010 (under title "Leadership Positions and Meetings"): http://www.orgsites.com/mo/bsa-troop...otes-sep14.pdf

So IMO, if you can find a certified Beekeeper Merit Badge mentor (I'm guessing one who's still alive today, 16 years after it was discontinued), a Beekeeper Merit Badge can still be earned by an Eagle Scout candidate today. The question also remains if there is some unpublished method to become Merit Badge mentor even after BSA discontinues a badge. I suspect there is, but you just have to talk to the right person at BSA HQ.

One thing I've learned over the years is there's always a waiver or work-around; you just have to find it.